The present invention relates to games, and more particularly to a method of playing a game of numbers and colors.
Games are primarily for amusement of adults and children. The amusement factor is based on a combination of social interaction and the competitive element required to play a game, for those games having more than one participant. Games based on solitaire participation contain the competitive element without need for social interaction; as is well known, such games can be extremely amusing to the solitaire player. Another valuable purpose of games is to teach something to adults or children, in a form more amenable to the educational process, compared to learning something from a blackboard or textbook. Often, a sign of a successful and popular game is one that fulfills both these purposes at the same time, i.e., an amusing and educational game.
The principle mechanics or method of any game is based on: 1) preliminary general information about the subject of the game and game hardware, including alternative formats or modes of playing the game, and objects, equipment, or media required for playing the game (e.g., cards, dice, chips, tokens, game board, number or object spinner, computer, etc.), required number of players, typical time duration of play, etc., 2) a detailed set of rules and step-by-step procedures specifying a competition, including the permissible actions of and information available to each participant, 3) the criteria for termination of the competition, typically based on completion of specific tasks, an accumulation of a pre-set number of points, or attainment of a score, and 4) distribution of payoffs, if applicable. Often, game mechanics includes information relating to the probabilities with which chance events may occur, since an important property of nearly every game involves the occurrence of chance or random events.
Games can be devised for essentially any subject matter. A mathematical game indicates that the mechanics is based on utilizing mathematical operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division of numbers for completion of specific tasks, leading to accumulation of points or attainment of a score. A mathematical game may involve one or more different categories of numbers, including for example, numbers which are whole integers, rational, prime, non-prime, real, imaginary, etc.
A game can also be based on colors, whereby the game mechanics involves manipulation of symbols of light and image perception for completion of game tasks. A game based on colors may also involve mathematical operations to be performed on colors analogous to mathematical operations performed on numbers. Essentially, formation of a basic color from a linear combination of other basic colors is analogous to application of the mathematical operations of addition and subtraction to colors. For example, applying the operation of addition on appropriate shades of at least two colors (e.g., green and red), results in another different color (i.e., yellow).
An extensive variety of games based on mathematics or color are available. However, few game methods feature mathematical operations of prime numbers, or mathematical operations of colors, in the main objective of play. Moreover, a method of playing a game which includes a method of simultaneously combining mathematical operations performed on prime numbers and colors has not been identified in the prior art.
An example of a mathematical game method featuring multiplication (i.e., as the only mathematical operation in the game method) in the main objective of play is `Find The Products` (Math Card Games--Games for Learning and Enjoying Math, second edition, Cotter, Joan A., Activities For Learning, Hutchinson, Minn., USA, 1988), a card game, whereby the main object is for a player to collect the most product cards by pairing cards in his hand, using a card set previously distributed to that player, with a product equal to that of a card already on the table (i.e., viewable by all players). `Find The Products` game is specified as a card game, does not emphasis number categories (e.g., prime or non-prime numbers), and it involves no colors. Moreover, the game restricts players to form products of numbers using number cards previously set out on the table (i.e., viewable by all players), in contrast to players forming products of numbers using number cards possessed by a particular player (i.e., not viewable by all players).
Another example of a mathematical game method is one which features multiplication of prime and non-prime numbers, `Factoring` (Math Card Games--Games for Learning and Enjoying Math, second edition, Cotter, Joan A., Activities For Learning, Hutchinson, Minn., USA, 1988), another card game, whereby the main object is for a player to collect the most product cards by completing rows of cards previously set out on the table, each row containing a non-prime number product card and a variable quantity of prime number cards, by using a set of cards previously distributed to that player. In each completed row, the number on the product card must equal the product of the prime number cards. As for `Find The Products` game, The `Factoring` game is similarly restrictive with respect to player interaction, in that players are required to form products of numbers using number cards previously set out on the table (i.e., viewable by all players), in contrast to a more flexible alternative method of play, whereby players form products of numbers using number cards possessed by a particular player (i.e., viewable by all players). Moreover, the `Factoring` game is restricted to multiplication of prime and non-prime numbers, and it involves no colors.